en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/654760 Comments by NSFW http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-college-sports/ci_28477708/cu-buffs-player-faces-dui-after-boulder-police#IDComment984691272 Really? People should be rewarded for simply doing what they should do regardless? I'm all for creating incentives for people to do the right thing, but, seriously? The incentive for "telling the truth" is that you don't get slammed with an aggravating charge, the prosecutor or judge considers your honesty in a plea/sentencing, or the like - but the days of "oh, cute, you're drunk and driving, come on, buddy, let's get ya home and forget this happened" are gone. And for good reason, because, actually, that's how people got/get killed (e.g. the time they don't get caught early enough and taken home). Tue, 14 Jul 2015 00:39:49 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-college-sports/ci_28477708/cu-buffs-player-faces-dui-after-boulder-police#IDComment984691272 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_28163472#IDComment973181569 This reminds me of the days when I was a firefighter training at the Boulder County Regional Fire Training Facility back when it was on Lee Hill Road. Folks bought property next to a decades old fire training facility and then complained about the noise and smoke from firefighter training. Seriously? Fri, 22 May 2015 20:34:09 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_28163472#IDComment973181569 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_28163472#IDComment973181308 Funny how a "BldrRepublican" wants the government to come meddle in this matter when it's about his/her issue. Where's the platform of "small, unobtrusive" government now when the "free market" is running a business near you that happens to annoy you? You know what else is the "free market"? You bought a house there, in the flight path of planes near an airport. The data for flight paths is easily available, do your due diligence or don't complain when businesses are operating in a legal, well-understood manner. Fri, 22 May 2015 20:32:44 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_28163472#IDComment973181308 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_27393912/colorado-lawmakers-consider-banning-powdered-alcohol#IDComment945038225 The problem, unfortunately, is that those businesses making a huge profit off of selling wildly marked up alcohol to captive audiences at places like sporting venues, etc see this as loosening that grip and are relatively effectively using/misusing the public interest/regulatory regimes to protect their vapid business models. Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:09:38 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_27393912/colorado-lawmakers-consider-banning-powdered-alcohol#IDComment945038225 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_27393912/colorado-lawmakers-consider-banning-powdered-alcohol#IDComment945037348 The concessionaires at sporting venues and other captive situations (airlines/airports, etc) have long proven they do not enjoy competition. Anything that threatens to weaken the gravy train they've established of the $7 Coors Light, $12 "Microbrews" (which aren't even good ones), and $10 under-poured ****tails will absolutely have them sending their lobbyist complaining to their local friendly-politician about how this must be stopped "in the public interest". (EDIT: wow! You can't say that word for mixed drink that starts with a c on here without being auto-censored!) Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:06:04 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_27393912/colorado-lawmakers-consider-banning-powdered-alcohol#IDComment945037348 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27243583/driver-arrested-after-crashing-fleeing-foot-through-cu#IDComment936727504 In the "little things that don't really matter but happen to really bother people with a certain disposition" (unfortunately, such as myself) category: Article says it was a sedan. Caption to picture says that was the car involved. That is not a sedan in the picture, it appears to be a coupe. Something does not add up in this single-vehicle involved incident report. Fri, 2 Jan 2015 19:38:42 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27243583/driver-arrested-after-crashing-fleeing-foot-through-cu#IDComment936727504 http://www.dailycamera.com/get-out/ci_26980359/satellite-resorts-skiing-lesser-known-mountains#IDComment916694199 It's interesting that the article highlights A-Basin as the "satellite" resort. While certainly not along the lines of the large resorts with base-area accommodations, the article really *seems* like it should focus on places like Ski Cooper, Powderhorn, or any other of the good, smaller resorts in CO that don't accept/aren't a part of the Epic Pass, Rocky Mountain Super Pass, etc. Really, calling going to A-Basin "branching out" when it's included in the large pass products is a bit of a stretch... Fri, 21 Nov 2014 21:38:50 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/get-out/ci_26980359/satellite-resorts-skiing-lesser-known-mountains#IDComment916694199 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_26966204/libyan-refugee-arrested-boulder-again-suspicion-violating-bond#IDComment915162802 Judge Patrick Butler is making no sense: "You've been given more chances than you probably deserve," Butler said. "This is the last chance from me to show that you are not a danger to the community while out on bond." Seriously? Yes, Judge Butler, you're right, she's been given way more chances (and squandered them) than she deserves, so in your next breath, why did you give her more? Keep her out of our community until justice does its work and she's served her sentence or is exonerated. Wed, 19 Nov 2014 18:40:10 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_26966204/libyan-refugee-arrested-boulder-again-suspicion-violating-bond#IDComment915162802 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_26919405/cu-boulder-study-fracking-fluid-no-more-toxic#IDComment911368669 A quick perusal of even my relatively meager supply of household cleaners & chemicals reveals a bevy of things I'd never want in my drinking water, water I bathe/brush my teeth with, swim in, or use to water my plants. Even in these small household quantities. Bleach, caustic cleaners, and other things around the house are bad enough in the quantities we have them in (does this study and its researchers somehow think just because it's at home it's safe?), let alone the quantities they're used in in extractive processes. If you let this study give you a (false) sense of security, why don't you just whip yourself up a WD-40 manhattan next time you make a drink and give it a swig - hey, it's a common household chemical! Thu, 13 Nov 2014 21:53:56 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_26919405/cu-boulder-study-fracking-fluid-no-more-toxic#IDComment911368669 http://www.dailycamera.com/lifestyles/ci_26734750/wok-eat-dining-review-boulder#IDComment893265011 I gave this place a try a few times because I generally like the concept. They've been open for about a year now (I think?), and absolutely agree with the review but have to say, they should be past the "work in progress" phase by now...it wasn't good when it opened (either quality of food or value for price/size) and it most certainly hasn't improved. For the same price you can get more food, of better quality, and absolutely better flavor at the ridiculous $8.49/lb Whole Foods salad bar... Small portions of bland, flavorless food for, once tax and tip is included, around $11. Nah, I'll pass. Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:03:45 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/lifestyles/ci_26734750/wok-eat-dining-review-boulder#IDComment893265011 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_26659146#IDComment884252009 Phew, glad DOW got to him before Boulder PD. Fri, 3 Oct 2014 23:27:36 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_26659146#IDComment884252009 http://www.dailycamera.com/sports/ci_23620287/matt-russell-denver-broncos-executive-arrested-breckenridge-dui#IDComment675942808 I wonder what words like "unacceptable", "full responsibility", and "accountability" mean. In the past, when I've heard them from either the Broncos organization or NFL teams (or the league) in relation to such incidents, they never really matched well with what I thought they'd mean (read: termination). If this guy is director of player personnel, it seems like this is a pretty serious "do as I say not as I do" offense, and I am interested to see what "unacceptable" means to them. I have my own designs as to what that means, of course, but I'm not sure that really matters as much as the pattern into which this fits. Mon, 8 Jul 2013 22:24:02 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/sports/ci_23620287/matt-russell-denver-broncos-executive-arrested-breckenridge-dui#IDComment675942808 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_23049884/salman-rushdie-talk-at-cu-boulder-discusses-role?source=rss#IDComment622122583 Well, yes, that would be cool, I love Rushdie, Sultan, Warraq, and others - I think they're wonderful intellectuals and show the religious + intellectual diversity of the people of Middle Eastern descent, but he should invite them over for BLTs + White House Brew, *not* an Iftar dinner, because these people are not Muslims - why would they attend an Iftar dinner? They don't observe Ramadan - in fact, they're critical of it. Are you assuming just because they're of Middle Eastern descent and have some familial/childhood links to Islam that somehow they're representative? It'd be like inviting a bunch of atheists over for an Easter celebration - yeah, their heritage might be "Catholic", they might even once have been Catholic, but, uh, they have renounced it. These people are are unabashed critics of Islam, how on earth do you think they actually represent it? But, yes, I think we can learn a lot from Rushdie, Sultan, Warraq, et al, and they're wonderful people, to boot, but about the worst representatives you can find if you want people that represent the Muslim brotherhood...and they'll say that themselves. Rushdie pretty much did yesterday (several direct jabs that made clear he was not and did not identify as a Muslim - which is pretty obvious). Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:24:26 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_23049884/salman-rushdie-talk-at-cu-boulder-discusses-role?source=rss#IDComment622122583 http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_22650050/rocky-mountain-national-park-details-possible-cuts-service?source=rss#IDComment577945572 He's another politician - I'm really less interested in (or impressed/convinced/swayed by) ad hom attacks that really have nothing to do about policy that apply to anyone in Washington, really, than substantive policy action. I find it a bit interesting when the most frequent attacks on the guy are (already answered) questions about his birth place, if he's a "Moslem" (sic), or how he plays the blame game. Yawn. There are so many better things to attack the guy on, but, really, we're wasting our time on these? Same goes for those attacking the right wing on the same calculus. The quality of the discourse in Washington is bad, and clearly, it's because it isn't much better in Anytown, USA, and really, comments like this epitomize that. If you want to really get to the cause, that's where the *real* blame lies, actually. We, as an electorate/citizens, let this happen in many ways. We can choose to keep going down the path of partisan bickering every four years while ignoring the actual behaviors that create these problems in our government in the intervening 3.5 years when we only return to infighting and dogmatic snarkiness for the other 6 months. Or, we could be a bit more engaged and aware (and, frankly, intelligent) in our discourse and what we expect from our politicians. There are two ways you win in this environment, unfortunately, if you're in a conservative district, you go far right, like waaaaay far right to win the primary, and paint your competitor as "soft" or "liberal". Then you move slightly more center. If you're in a more liberal district, you tow what used to the be old Republican party's platform from the 2nd half the 20th century (but not towards the very end...pre-Gingrich et al). That's a pretty sad statement on the electorate. Perhaps a bit cynical, but those are the acknowledged dynamics of it - and crap like playing the partisan blame game is exactly what created it. Sun, 24 Feb 2013 01:13:16 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_22650050/rocky-mountain-national-park-details-possible-cuts-service?source=rss#IDComment577945572 http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_22650050/rocky-mountain-national-park-details-possible-cuts-service?source=rss#IDComment577412461 Really? It's all one side's fault? Do you really believe that or are you just grinding your axe? The whole "you can thank the (insert political group against whom you're grinding said axe here)s" thing is so tired, and frankly, reeks. Want somewhere to put the blame? Really, it seems a lot more reasonable that it is a broken political system is what you can "thank" for whatever issues du jour might afflict us, and whatever label you want to put on politicians, yourself, etc has blood on it to that end. Really, if it was as easy as one bad apple, one bad political party, or one bad policy/school of thought, we wouldn't be here. Instead, we're here not because of a lack of solutions, but because our political system isn't built or structured around any desire to find or implement such solutions, but, in fact, around sustaining, serving, and advancing its own interests. And that issue transcends any partisan label you can throw at it. Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:18:23 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_22650050/rocky-mountain-national-park-details-possible-cuts-service?source=rss#IDComment577412461 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22426373/boulder-police-officers-resign-elk-shooting#IDComment551223884 I know there's the adamant claims from Chief Beckner that these officers are bad apples and that's all (as were the 3-4 others in the last 18 mos who also have been involved with DUIs or felony weapons charges, etc), but at some point, with enough bad apples, you have to start asking questions about the farmer. I'm happy we're rid of these clowns as a community on our police force, but I'm still woefully unsatisfied in rebuilding my confidence that BPD is well run or even run on values consistent with my own/of my community. When I say "values", I don't mean things like "loving animals" or "vegetarianism", which while great, aren't things I'm necessarily looking to impose on my police force. But, I do expect things like "integrity", "trust", and "accountability". There are many opportunities to ask questions about these. Beckner asks us, instead, to look at how swiftly these cases are handled when they do occur. Well, I agree, I am glad he's doing his job to weed out the bad apples when they do crop up, but the other half of the equation is making sure we're doing all we can to prevent them in the first place. It's not possible to have 0 malfeasance in any organization, it's just not human, but I'm not impressed with the amount of problems plaguing BPD for its size, and not impressed by Beckner's comments (or actions) on areas of accountability, integrity, and trust. While it's nice to have these guys turn in their badges, I still lack the confidence that the organization is well managed, and who is to say more of these types of "bad apples" don't exist or won't be hired to replace these two. We can't predict the future, and I am not asking Beckner and his staff to try, but I do expect them to admit "something ain't right" with some humility and pledge to fix it, instead of denying it, and asking me to praise them on how well they react rather than how they are proactive about the problem. Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:48:47 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22426373/boulder-police-officers-resign-elk-shooting#IDComment551223884 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_22377709/charles-k-peterson-elk-shooting-and-absurdity-boulderites#IDComment546571230 As long as it wasn't stolen or otherwise unethically gained, what is wrong with rich people? I'm not one of them by any measure, but I'd like to understand this almost mythical, dogmatic hatred of the anonymous "rich person". Yeah, I don't like the Ken Lays, Bernie Ebbers, or even Jamie Dimons of the world, either - they kinda represent the gamut of lying, cheating, or just otherwise unethically going about amassing a fortune (and misusing it), but, Boulder has a huge amount of philanthropic giving from it's "haves", but outside of the normal amount of cheats/crooks you'll find anywhere else I'm sure live here, too, what's with the hate/snark on a community of wealthy people doing what they think is right for the environment? Would these "rich people" suddenly be more palatable to you if they live in Cherry Creek, the Highlands, Seattle, or Austin and didn't recycle or compost? Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:07:24 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_22377709/charles-k-peterson-elk-shooting-and-absurdity-boulderites#IDComment546571230 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_22377709/charles-k-peterson-elk-shooting-and-absurdity-boulderites#IDComment545715215 I'm glad I live in a town that sees beyond the "point issue". While, yes, there are some people just mourning the death of the elk itself (and, really, what's the true harm in that?), I think the broader uproar, and something that folks like Mr. Peterson fail to understand (or choose not to think about?), is that this is a broader problem & question about the Boulder Police Department's procedure, process, and control over its own officers. The last two years have not friendly to BPD in terms of employees getting DUIs, felony gun charges, etc - however, those were just poor decisions made off-duty. Now, you have what seems to be collusion/conspiracy to commit felony crimes by *on-duty* officers, using their service weapons, in their capacity as BPD officers, and possibly hiding/lying about it. I don't know if that riles up the folk in Bailey, I only really drive through and maybe stop at the BBQ joint there, but, I'm glad it riles us up here in Boulder, because I think those are serious questions. I think an elk vigil, silent walk, and songwriting about the issue is a very good way to get public attention beyond the serious editorials, petitions, etc. That's the nice thing about our country, no one is forcing you to live in Boulder, Mr. Peterson. Thankfully, no one is forcing me to live in Bailey, either! But, before you go throwing stones across the metro area, I think it might behoove you to truly understand the issue and the context if you'd like to avoid casting yourself as an uninformed yokel just off on another dogmatic anti-Boulder riff. Get real, sir? I think Boulder is "plenty real", some of the best real schools, best real standard of living, real fitness, and levels of real education in the real population you'll find anywhere in the nation are found just a bit north of your own humble hamlet, here in Boulder. Not surprisingly, it's also why Boulder residents act like they act - they're not happy with a police department that appears misguided, they're not happy with unsustainable practices like plastic bags (as someone who lives in Boulder, I don't see a huge amount of disposable water bottle use, actually - if anything, they're in the hands of tourists on the Pearl St. Mall), and they're not into sullying their community spaces with second hand smoke. Actually, this is the movement in most urban areas where you see high levels of education in the population. Can I ask why you object to such things? Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:05:06 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_22377709/charles-k-peterson-elk-shooting-and-absurdity-boulderites#IDComment545715215 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22317240/boulder-police-deal-wave-misconduct#IDComment536495608 I won't pretend to know how to run a police department and I'm not interested in bad mouthing BPD, but, generically speaking, my first/gut reaction to this sound byte was "why should I be proud of a reactively management organization/proud of someone doing their job properly"? Yes, I basically & generically expect, as a normal course of business (police or not), that misconduct cases be handled quickly, professionally, and expediently. While it's nice to get a pat on the back and a "good game" for just getting up in the morning and showing up to the office, it's kinda ridiculous to ask for it... Sat, 5 Jan 2013 18:31:45 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22317240/boulder-police-deal-wave-misconduct#IDComment536495608 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_22311450#IDComment536128780 Really, I think the only thing "stacked high against the accused" is a video of his own behavior. A, video, I might add, whose veracity or accuracy no one (the accused included) is doubting... Yes, the system is "broken" in many ways/cases/aspects - but I don't see much of that "breakage" affecting or influencing this case. Mostly, I see a grumpy old man with anger management issues and maybe an irrational bone to pick with cyclists who got called on his poor behavior (that also happened to be illegal)/happened to pick on the wrong guys in spandex. I think your rant about the system is just that - a rant about the system, and not really either relevant or based in the fact of is or isn't going on here. Who, exactly is being "strong armed" or pressured (unless, of course, you call enforcement of the law on a valid, evidenced complaint alleging violation of the law, "pressuring" someone)? Sat, 5 Jan 2013 06:31:12 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_22311450#IDComment536128780